Some phrase origins are hard to pinpoint such as “dropping like flies.”  A story in the May 1902 edition of the Atlanta Constitution might have said it first, “I saw men and women rushing back and forth within the flames. They would run along, then came the choking smoke and they would drop like dead flies.” 

Let’s face it. The unseen forces of evil are all around us. And because of sin, they always have been. And always will be. Prudence dictates that we don’t allow evil unnecessary opportunities to strike. We cannot be fully protected. But we can act wisely to protect those we love.

It was a Lifeway Research report earlier this spring that “triggered” my interest on church security. Most of us in the faith community seem to go about our weekly church business not too concerned about safety at our house of worship. Fortunately, others take this quite seriously. Church security is a broader topic than one might think. I recall my membership in a Dallas megachurch in the 1980s where building and parking garage security was a must. Occasional visits from relatively non-threatening types often needed to be escorted from the premises. Even the pastor had a personal security detail present before and after services. Times have changed.

Can you name the famed characters of Looney Tunes? Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, Barnyard Dawg, Foghorn Leghorn, Sylvester, Yosemite Sam, Porky Pig, etc. And a personal favorite…Bugs Bunny. Their antics were crazy. Even…looney. The word “looney” has an ample number of synonyms. Silly. Stupid. Crazy. Even the softer "strange.” Our world is rampant today with looney-ness.

In my basement sits a large, three ring binder. The contents are the handouts provided during a week long "Christian discipleship" course I attended in May of 1970. At the time, it was known as the "Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts." All the sessions were designed and taught by one Bill Gothard.

Thank goodness it’s over. June. Formerly known as the start of summer, it’s been the time for vacations, picnics, baseball, and beaches. Often, the beginning of air conditioning season. Then came “Pride Month.”

If a woman decides to abort her child, but chooses to put the child up for adoption using an artificial womb, does that make it a pro-life decision? A challenging question to be sure. The very kind of issue that...

Americans are big on choice. We can choose restaurants, automobiles, our clothing, and even where to live. We can make good choices and bad choices. Our prisons are packed with those who’ve chosen the wrong path. Leaders in government often make us wonder, “What were they thinking?” One of the saddest of choices millions of Americans have made is the decision to terminate a human life through abortion. In bizarre fashion, we even call this a “pro-choice” decision. Frightening.

March 22nd was a very difficult day for me. It has taken some time for me to even be able to write meaningfully about the “event” of that day. We bade a not-so-fond-farewell to our treasured rat terrier, Pepito. My buddy. My blessed companion. He needed to go. His last days were very difficult. He died in my arms. And I wept.

This Sunday, Americans will celebrate another Mother’s Day. Since everyone has a mother, it’s an important proposition to honor them. Biblical, too. You know, “honor your father and mother” is one of the Big Ten. 

We’re likely all familiar with the phrase, "there’s only two things you can’t avoid in life: construction in Illinois and car warranty calls." No…wait. I think the answer is supposed to be death and taxes. Of course, in Illinois we love our taxes. We must. That’s why they keep finding new ones for us!

So the grandest of all Christian celebrations is upon us. This year, Friday April 7th is Good Friday. Sunday April 9th is Easter. Or Resurrection Day as some prefer to call it. The two dates vary from year to year. Why? It’s, well, complicated. Why do these two occasions give us the grandest of our faith celebrations as Christ followers? Because we get to color Easter eggs? Uh…wrong answer.

Holiness is a foreign topic for most people. Even Christians. We have a vague familiarity with the context in which it is usually found. First and foremost, we are told that God the Almighty is “holy.” As the Israelites were getting familiar with their Divine Deliverer, these words were given to them: “For I am the LORD your God, so you must consecrate yourselves and be holy because I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44,  CSB) This is repeated three more times in Leviticus.

For Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over.” That’s particularly embarrassing for her because a sitting mayor is supposed to be reelected. She failed to impress voters, yet announced that Chicago moved forward during her term. Voters disagreed. Opponents pointed out the rise in crime and a consistently divisive leadership style. So who is next up?